To tackle absenteeism among doctors, Punjab to have biometric machines

To tackle absenteeism among doctors and other medical staff, biometric machines will be installed in all government hospitals in Punjab, health minister Brahm Mohindra said on Thursday.

These machines will be installed in all district-level hospitals in the first phase, the minister said in a press conference to highlight his department’s achievements and roadmap in the next one year.

A plan for this has already been finalised as absenteeism among doctors has become a major headache for the department as it was affecting health care services, the minister said.

“Rs 20 lakh has been sanctioned to install these machines in district-level hospitals. At the later stage, we are planning to make it compulsory to have these machines in other hospitals, including those in rural areas,” said

The minister said a regulatory body to monitor private hospitals in the state is in the offing and a team of expert is working on the draft legislation.

“This body would be a regulator for private hospitals as many of them have been accused of charging hefty fees and duping patients in one or the other way,” he said.

He said this draft would be become a reality in the current year. “It would prove a landmark move in regulating health services in private sector in Punjab,” said Mohindra.